In the coming year and beyond, I plan to use my savings to purchase a dairy cow. Owning this cow will ensure a steady supply of milk that I can sell for income. Not only will selling the milk provide cash, but having milk will also improve the health of my children, myself, and other family members, as we will no longer have to drink black tea due to the lack of funds to buy milk. With the extra money from selling milk, I’ll be able to pay my bills and my children’s school fees without struggle, relieving me from financial stress and allowing me to support my family with ease. This simple yet impactful step will lead to financial stability and a better future for my family. I’m excited about the potential this opportunity holds, and I’m determined to make the most of it.

I am grateful to GiveDirectly for their financial support. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve all that I have. As a small-scale farmer, unpredictable weather makes it difficult to ensure a good harvest. Despite these challenges, I’ve been saving $20 every month with my savings group. Thanks to the recent transfers from GiveDirectly, I was able to buy a new mattress for my children, as their old one was worn out. Additionally, I managed to acquire a solar system with three bulbs, paying for it in installments. I allocated $39 towards my solar loan payment. Finally, I saved $20 for my monthly contribution to the savings group and used the remaining $3 to buy soap for my family.

I have a straightforward plan: to buy a dairy cow from my Merry Go Round group in July. With that cow, I'll have a consistent supply of milk, which I can sell to generate income. This will be a game-changer for me and my family. With the extra income from selling milk, I'll finally be able to settle my bills with ease. No more struggling to make ends meet or worrying about how I'll manage to pay the bills or my children's school fees. It's a simple but powerful step towards financial stability and providing a better future for my family. I'm excited about the possibilities this opportunity will bring, and I'm determined to make the most of it.

Upon receiving the cash transfer, I immediately set my plans into motion, guided by a vision of securing a better future for my family. Investing $60 into our merry-go-round was a strategic move I had long deliberated on with my trusted circle of friends. Together, we pooled our resources, each contributing our share towards a collective goal. For me, this meant saving up to purchase a dairy cow, a crucial asset that would not only provide sustenance but also serve as a source of income. With the steady income from selling milk, I envisioned a pathway towards securing my children's education, ensuring they had access to opportunities I never had. Amidst the investments, there were immediate needs that demanded attention. Allocating $15 towards school fees for my child and sibling, orphaned by the untimely death of our parents, was a priority. Their education was non-negotiable, a beacon of hope amidst the uncertainties of our circumstances. Additionally, I ventured into acquiring a solar panel on credit, recognizing the transformative power of light in our home. The ability to charge our phones and have illumination after dusk brought a sense of security and connectivity to the modern world. As my tailoring business struggled to yield profits, the remaining funds were allocated towards providing sustenance for my family, a testament to the invaluable support provided by GiveDirectly's monthly cash assistance.

Over the next year, my intention is to acquire a cow, establishing it as a vital income source. Following the cow's birthing, I will engage in milk production and sales, thereby generating revenue to meet my personal requirements. I am exceedingly content with the financial assistance I have received thus far from Give Directly.

Following the passing of both my parents, the responsibility of caring for my two siblings fell solely on me. Recently, my brother successfully completed his primary education, excelling in his examinations. Consequently, he was poised to commence secondary school this year. In preparation for financing his education, I diligently set aside $20 from my monthly transfers within a savings group. This endeavor resulted in an accumulation of $140, and with supplementary contributions from my tailoring business, I was able to enroll him in school, a source of great joy for me. Additionally, I allocated $30 towards the school fees of my other sibling, who is currently in class 4. The remaining $12 was utilized to procure essential items such as food and personal effects like detergents. I am profoundly grateful for achieving my objective of facilitating my brother's education, made possible through the financial assistance from the transfers.

I aspire to expand my tailoring venture into a full-fledged business situated in the trade center. This would require renting a workspace there. Working from home has its challenges, given the various household responsibilities and distractions. These constraints hinder my concentration on growing my tailoring business. I aim to save so that I can acquire materials and additional sewing equipment, thereby taking my business to the next level. I hope the cash transfers will play a crucial role in helping me reach this goal, as I estimate that I will need an initial capital of approximately $200.

In the recent cash transfer, I made a deliberate choice to allocate $20 towards purchasing a goat. With this addition, I now have two goats, and my objective is to raise them as a means of wealth-building for my child's future. Although my child is still too young for formal schooling, I am well aware that there is a long educational journey ahead. Additionally, I am responsible for the well-being and education of a younger sibling who is currently in grade three. Being orphans, we have only each other for support. My profession is tailoring, but I faced challenges in obtaining the funds to start my own tailoring business until I began receiving these cash transfers. I am pleased that with the funds from previous months, I managed to purchase a sewing machine valued at $140, which has enabled me to engage in casual clothing repair work from home.

As I mentioned earlier, I joined a savings group as a result of receiving GD transfers. Last year we saved from February, and I was able to get about $100 in February this year, which has contributed towards achieving my goal. My main goal for the year is to build a house for my family which is usually a capital-intensive project. I have already purchased some of the things but I hope to see this project accomplished at the end of this year. I will still be saving with my savings group and direct my savings towards the project as my husband also works on the same. I also want to add a few more animals that will reproduce. I plan to eventually buy a cow by selling the offspring and using the proceeds from selling milk from the cow in taking care of my brother's school fees.

GD has been a source of relief for me and my family at large. I am a tailor, before 2021 I used to use my sister-in-law's sewing machine to make clothes and sell but it broke down. I stayed a whole year with no source of income which meant my husband was the only one contributing to the family financially. However late last year I got a sewing machine thanks to GD savings. After saving a while I was able to afford a second-hand machine at $140 and it's what I am using now to make clothes for my customers. In February I added several tools using $10 of the transfers such as threads, scissors, and needles. This has improved my work. I am also now contributing to my family's income which means I can afford to save in a savings group where I contribute $10 monthly. Besides my business I can now call myself an animal farmer because using GD funds I added two goats in March and January at $20. My mother also passed away last year and I took up my brother as my responsibility since I felt he was too young to be alone with my father who is much aged. I was able to pay his school fees of $10 using my January transfers.

First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude for the donations I have been receiving, as it was thanks to them that I was finally able to purchase a sewing machine for myself in October. I intend to start a tailoring business to using the money I will receive this time to acquire the materials I will need and all the things I will require for the business. Additionally, I hoped to accumulate enough cash over time to buy a piece of land where we could try farming.

Nothing gives me more joy than helping my husband to support the needs of our family of three people (including our son) and relieving him of the pressure. How better could I achieve that than taking advantage of this Christmas season to expand my tailoring business? The holidays are when people make new festive clothes for themselves or their children. However, by the time I received the transfer, my business lacked materials for making the attire. So, I spent $30 to buy the materials. Am glad that I have started to realize improvement in my returns because not only do I earn labor charges, but I also generate profit from selling the materials to my customers. Apart from promoting the business, I spent the remaining $4 to clear examination fees for my sister in primary school so she could take her end-of-year exams. 

I was a tailor but quit when I got married because I no longer own a sewing machine. I am in a merry-go-round group of ten members where each of us contributes KES 2000 per month for saving using the transfers. We stay four people in the house; my brother, husband, son, and I. I saved KES 6000 of my last three months' transfers in the group and spent the rest of the money to purchase food items. The GiveDirectly transfers have inspired me to invest in cattle raising for investment. I am, therefore, so grateful to GiveDirectly for waking me up from my comfort zone through financial empowerment.

Lifestyles have been changed with the transfers we receive. One is able to budget and plan well on how to use the funds according to the challenges present since everyone has different pressing needs.

I have been doing some tailoring jobs to keep me moving and chip in to help my husband who is a petrol station attendant to take care of our one child and the family at large but with me loosing the job, all this has been difficult. Receiving the KES 3000 from GiveDirectly came as a pleasant surprise as I was able to buy one goat at KES 2500 which I personally graze at home. The remaining KES 500, I was able to buy my younger brother a new pair of school uniform which I had promised him since his old ones were already worn out.

I used to work as a tailor where the pay was very little. Last year, I was forced to step down so I may take care of my child. Even so, the desire to pursue my dream as a tailor has never faded. On this very day, I was in the kitchen cooking when I received the money. I was very ecstatic. My very first thought was to purchase a sewing machine that sells at KES 15000. But looking at the starvation state my child was in, and the fact that the money was not enough to purchase the machine, I opted to buy food instead and using my next transfers, I will work on purchasing the machine.

After I resigned from my tailoring job to take care of my infant child, I resulted to being a housewife. Although I am proud of it, I feel like my husband has a hard time meeting our needs. So, often, we would struggle to put food on the table. Now that I'm receiving these funds, I feel that there has been a boost to our finances. I have also started saving up towards purchasing a sewing machine so I may start a tailoring shop. From here, I will be able to contribute to the provision of the family's needs. Therefore, there is a great difference in my life

I used the funds to purchase some food for my family (my husband and one and a half-year-old child). This is because it has been a challenge for my husband and I to meet this need. Presently, we are unemployed so often my husband would travel to Mombasa in search of contractual jobs. The job he would normally get is selling fuel for motorists. There were days, like the day before I received this money when he would not be lucky with his sales. For that reason, we would be forced to go to bed on an empty stomach. Not so long ago, we went for two days without a meal.